I’m intigued by your assertion that remaining part …

I’m intigued by your assertion that remaining part of the UK provides ” safety in numbers and the degree of shelter offered effectively by the powerhouse of London and the south east”

The major problem for the UK economy is its over-dependence on the financial sector, a financial sector which is predicated on money which has no real value at all.

Apart from Germany the most successful countries in Europe, and the ones best prepared to withstand the economic fallout, are Scandinavia and Finland.

It’s not size which matters, it’s being sensible and having a sense of your true worth.

London is also the subsidy junkie of the UK grotesquely supported by public funds way above anything any other nation or region of the UK receives on a per capita basis. Economic meltdown will cause the withdrawal of most of that unsustainable support.

If the Uk is going to take the economic hit there is no way in which the London economy will offer shelter. London is the self inflicted sick man of the UK probably Europe ,currently with a patina of wealth ( all fur and nae knickers comes to mind!) and it’s about to have its crutches kicked away.

It will be the rest of the Uk which will have to bale it out.

While Scotland will not find its neighbour wanting, Independence offers a future based on real understandable money and the re-industrialisation of Scotland through renewables,smart manufacturing, and sustainable repopulation of our rural communities.

As the failure of the UK political establishment to handle the crisis becomes ever more apparent the developing majority for Independence will increase significantly.

We have an ideal pilot in Alex Salmond steering the good ship Scotland through the stormy seas. By suggesting the postponement of the Referendum you remove our rudder and we’ll be at the mercy of a financial Corryvreckan

I asked them what review had been made to assess how this public money had increased the population to make the communities sustainable.

There were blank faces and open mouths. No one had ever thought to link grant giving to population growth. Someone suggested I do the research for them.

Scotland is one big national park. Why should the environment of someone in Shotts be treated with inferior planning regulations than my environment? Surely if ones natural environment is not as spectacular as some others then planning should ensure that the built environment be spectacular to compensate for the deficiencies of God Hand?

Where are the SNP minders in white coats?When Unionist politicians say that if SNP MPs vote in a certain way they are “trying to sabotage the democratic will of the British people” does that mean that in the eyes of the British Establishment a Scottish MPs vote is or should be of less value than the vote of an MP from England if those Scottish MPs votes produce a majority which is different from the vote of a majority of English MPs?

It is the most undemocratic form of government in Scotland and in my experience acts against the economic and social interests of residents and does nothign effectively to prevent blots on the landscape. Just have alook at the large number of illegal permanent signs at Arden roundabout whuch it has failed to have removed.

In Luss all communities groups and Luss Estate proposed a development plan to build around 40 family homes to encourage young families to live so that the school could be sustainable. Up to now the NP said that only tourist related accommodation was permitted.

The Np were not interested when I offered to relocate my business to the Luss area which would have produced 20 well paid inobtrusive jobs and brought guaranteed income to the businesses in the village and help counter the depopulation.

Depopulation is rife in the NP park of A & B.

Give small local communities the power to control and develop their communities. They know more about what makes their communities tick and how best to let them flourish.

53 Responses to I’m intigued by your assertion that remaining part …

Think you hit the nail on the head, not sure how many times you will have to hit it before that happens? SNP have done little to boost business in Argyll other than attach themself to issues that look positive, Its a one agenda party for Independence, think that needs put on the very back ring or turned off for a time.

I also agree. After listening to the news item on BBC last night regarding the threat of closure to shipbuilding industry post independence, along with this morning’s view from the Engineering fraternity that a sustainable approach to renewable energy be discussed outwith political hyperbole, the SNP would be well advised to put the Scottish nation’s interests before that of it’s own one topic agenda.

I’m intigued by your assertion that remaining part of the UK provides ” safety in numbers and the degree of shelter offered effectively by the powerhouse of London and the south east”

The major problem for the UK economy is its over-dependence on the financial sector, a financial sector which is predicated on money which has no real value at all.

Apart from Germany the most successful countries in Europe, and the ones best prepared to withstand the economic fallout, are Scandinavia and Finland.

It’s not size which matters, it’s being sensible and having a sense of your true worth.

London is also the subsidy junkie of the UK grotesquely supported by public funds way above anything any other nation or region of the UK receives on a per capita basis. Economic meltdown will cause the withdrawal of most of that unsustainable support.

If the Uk is going to take the economic hit there is no way in which the London economy will offer shelter. London is the self inflicted sick man of the UK probably Europe ,currently with a patina of wealth ( all fur and nae knickers comes to mind!) and it’s about to have its crutches kicked away.

It will be the rest of the Uk which will have to bale it out.

While Scotland will not find its neighbour wanting, Independence offers a future based on real understandable money and the re-industrialisation of Scotland through renewables,smart manufacturing, and sustainable repopulation of our rural communities.

As the failure of the UK political establishment to handle the crisis becomes ever more apparent the developing majority for Independence will increase significantly.

We have an ideal pilot in Alex Salmond steering the good ship Scotland through the stormy seas. By suggesting the postponement of the Referendum you remove our rudder and we’ll be at the mercy of a financial Corryvreckan

The Supreme leader should carry on with his plan for Devo Max or should I say Devo Tax? The Act of union was broken when Margaret Thatcher introduced the poll tax in Scotland and not anywhere else within the United Kingdom Thus treating one partner of the union different from all others, nice cover up and we get a devolved Scottish executive as payment. The UK as a whole pays into the European Union £55 million pounds per day every day of the year what could Argyll do with one day’s payment of £55million; let’s not forget the money paid under the heading of “foreign aid” which goes through the IMF bank damn almost forgot to mention the money taken from your pocket! the industry stripped from your country and sent to “developing” countries in the form of “Carbon Credits” Ever wondered how the UK government can afford this yet they don’t spend the money in our own country? They say there was no money left in the tin by labour, Look into fiat money “full faith and unlimited credit” LOL Sad thing is the European Union will not fail it will just get bigger and when the designed to fail euro does collapse it will take the weak dollar with it maybe even the pound, but don’t worry peeps the BRICS currency will be there to save you

There are a number of good arguments in this article and worthy of consideration however as you mention ‘apples’ remember if not plucked and eaten at the right time rot! I agree timing is essential to the case and given as your article says and many others agree that the Euro will collapse within the year by the time we have had the referendum and agreed a timetable for fiscal and any all other transfers we will be years down the line from the main fall out. Also my understanding of why the referendum was delayed last time does not equate with yours. Fiscal matters may have come in to it but in a minority administration it would have been suicidal to spend time and money trying to get something through that was never going to make it. Mr Cameron may be panicing and using the EU to cover up all his mistakes like lack of growth but we don’t have to follow. When it comes to fiscal matters give me John Swinney anytime over George Osborne.

The Greek economy is only 2% of the European Union as a whole. The problem is the banks that are owed money by them are in Germany France and the U.K. and they will take the hit if the Euro fails. The biggest single trading market for the scottish economy and the rest of the U.K. is the European Union. This situation is a lot more complicated than the single item complicity that contributors here seem to think. Scotland as a small independent entity would be far better placed to react to situations and should not be involved in the reckless management of the financial sector that came from London. As far as the ship-building industry is concerned, do not forget that this present London Government tried to cancel the aircraft carriers project when they came to power. One has already been cancelled and there is no money to buy aircraft for them, let alone build any additional ships. The Trident submarines are an expense we neither need nor can afford, apart from any moral attitude to weapons of mass destruction. Would it not be better to see the Clyde build ships for peaceful purposes, rather than maintain a war footing that brings nothing but grief and dead young scottish soldiers. An independent England will require an even smaller navy. It will just be another medium sized nation that should take its place on the world stage, not a misguided bunch of imperialists that think they have a divine right to interfere in other peoples affairs. Wether a Labour or Tory regime is in power we only get involved, at the behest of the United States and the self centred reasons for their actions. The time has come for Scotland to take control of its own destiny and divorce itself from imperialist and unscrupulous self interest.

“When it comes to fiscal matters give me John Swinney anytime over George Osborne.” Totally agree with Jam’s final comment & with the rest of his comments. In addition Graeme McCormick is quite correct in his comments:- ” If the UK is going to take the economic hit there is no way in which the London economy will offer shelter. London is the self inflicted sick man of the UK probably Europe, currently with a patina of wealth ( all fur coats and nae knickers comes to mind!) and it’s about to have its crutches kicked away. It will be the rest of the UK which will have to bail it out. While Scotland will not find its neighbour wanting, Independence offers a future based on real understandable money and the re-industrialisation of Scotland through renewables,smart manufacturing, and sustainable repopulation of our rural communities.” and finally, G McC again:- “We have an ideal pilot in Alex Salmond” (and the rest of the current Scottish Government) “steering the good ship Scotland through the stormy seas. By suggesting the postponement of the Referendum you remove our rudder and we’ll be at the mercy of a financial Corryvreckan.”

The Scottish Gvt’s renewables strategy is wholly dependent on huge subsidies from Westminster. It has given the new Forth Road project to companies outside Scotland. It has no idea how to offer national security other than to depend on others to protect us, should the need arise. Therefore I find it very difficult to understand why some people think that Scotland would be safer with Independence.

“Huge subsidies from Westminster” is this a joke? Look at the money sent to the crooks in the treasury from Scotland, so I think we get a small amount of our money back through “subsidies” Under the EU dictatorship sorry directive we have to advertise contracts throughout Europe, so it is highly unlikely local companies or start up companies would get the larger contracts As for defence I don’t think spreading our democracy in Iraq and Libya for the profit of gold and oil does much for protecting our land If our money was not being redirected to foreign lands then perhaps we could make use of our abundance for the good of Scotland

Keith – “If our money was not being redirected to foreign lands then perhaps we could make use of our abundance for the good of Scotland”.

Perhaps our First Minister should have thought of that when he was given nearly £800 million for the Forth Road Bridge. He scuttled off to China and Poland on a spending spree and came back with a bagful of Polish and Chinese contracts and, oh yes…. a couple of Pandas!

This incident saw Scottish Workers writing to a Tory Prime Minister asking him to persuade the “progressive” Scottish Government to use Scottish Steel.

I believe that the end result is that around £20 million of work will go to Scottish Companies and we are now inundated with front page headlines about the sex-life of bloody pandas!

“Under the EU dictatorship sorry directive we have to advertise contracts throughout Europe, so it is highly unlikely local companies or start up companies would get the larger contracts”…Karl:good point, Alex would have us join the EU if it still exists. I don’t think spreading our democracy in Iraq and Libya for the profit of gold and oil does much for protecting our land Karl:Better point given that I am in Iraq and finished working in Libya 3 days after the madness started.As for defence … you can’t spread democracy with the barrel of a gun…both of these countries have ended up in semi anarchic states. The governments now in place are tribal/feudal…and always will be. There is no democracy in either Iraq or Libya…I am in Basra at the moment. Both of these wars were solely based on big business decisions…as is industrial scale wind. Who’s gonna buy the stuff if we get independance, europe won’t, England certainly won’t…..

And please remember the UK’s public were on the streets from lands end to john n’ groats saying stop ! the war.

Alex has a lot going for him as a first minister, he could not become the first President or Prime Minister of Scotland as he has dictatorial tendancies.

The time is wrong/the motives do not weigh up..and most of all Salmond is not the saviour of Scotland. He will as somebody said…have us on the rocks!

Hi Robert…Scotland still is LOL…tell me about it…Iraq place is madness…thankfully I fly home tomorrow. Problem is that in all of the arabic states and countries (and I have worked in every one!)they need a leader, their culture and family and religion is all male dominated and run from top down…chop off the head and chaos follows. And just because the beeb isn’t reporting the violence here does not mean it is not happening. 4 kiddnapped two weeks ago, 3 shot a week ago…and a lad shot at the gate two days ago…

Anyway..enough ForArgyll…I am off to pack…and this time tomorrow I will be drinking my first pint in Dubai. Slainte Karl

So Lowry thinks that Scottish renewables will become a subsidy junkie!!!-Not a profitable industry gaining income through exportation. (Most people recognise the latter scenario!) So Lowry also thinks that Scotland will not be able to protect itself as a participant of an amalgamation of other European forces! — Interesting! But patently wrong! Lowry is obviously a card carrying member of the ‘Scotland is too small and too stupid’ club!!

They are in general not Scottish companies…and they are already junkies…and their labor forces come from overseas as does the tech and the actual turbines.

And why on earth would anybody by Scottish generated electricity after we break from the union ? it’s cheaper in europe!

England will not need it because they will still have the capital and options to build conventional or Nuke.

If we are going to go it alone…we need to drop wages to compete on a world footing and get back into heavy industry for employment. Maybe just maybe, renewables will then have a part to play. as for expecting our country to live off the last dregs on NS Oil or the banking sector…tosh !

You also probably find it difficult to understand how little Iceland is managing recovery from economic crisis without the patronage, generosity and largesse of London ( other than to brand them “terrorists).

“Three years after its near meltdown, Iceland looks healthy on many measures. It successfully finished an IMF bailout program and has already made one early repayment. It expects the sale of assets from failed bank Landsbanki to cover its $5 billion in debts to Britain and the Netherlands.

In February, Iceland recovered its investment-grade rating from Fitch, which praised the country for restoring macroeconomic stability, adding to investment-grade ratings from Standard and Poor’s and Moody’s Investors Service. “http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47280153/ns/business-world_business/t/banking-crisis-over-icelands-economy-thaws/

Lowry get a life – who do you think is paying for the london Olympics, including the new cable car, the upgrades to the infrastructure and the new 1 Billion pound Kings Cross Station, every tax payer in the U.K. Can you imagine the London Government spending 1 Billion pounds on Scotland’s railways? Who do you think will pick up the shortfalls if the ticket sales and sponsorships are unable to cover the costs? Right again, all the taxpayers throughout these islands.

In fact the yet-to-be-completed Kings Cross station project is costing £547m, and has been desperately needed for a very long time, but it took the Olympics to force the government’s hand. The sheer long-term neglect of East London infrastructure, and the utter squalor of some areas (notably the Lea valley stretching well beyond the Olympics zone), part of a hugely wealthy city, is a shameful indictment of the quality of Westminster – and London local – governments of all political hues for a very long time. I suspect that regeneration of equally squalid areas on the east side of Glasgow proceeded far faster, and I’m more outraged by the liberal use of lottery money for some of the Olympic developments than of other public money. The cable car was originally costed at £25m, to be entirely privately financed, but the cost has increased to £60m, with Emirates sponsoring £36m and the £24m balance to be paid for by ‘third party funding and fare revenue’ Just two examples of actual project cost, but it’s indicative of a more complex funding pattern than you suggest, and I might ask you how the enormous cost overrun on the Holyrood parliament building, and the colossal bill for the new Forth road bridge, are being funded – if not from the tax payer?

We’re federalists – but overall will support any outcome voted for by a sufficiently substantial majority not to leave a lot of sore losers. This scenario would obstruct the sort of national cohesion necessary to make a success of whatever is eventually decided.

We do believe Scotland could survive as an independent country – but only if it had the shelter of a reasonably secure economic climate to find its feet and only if Scots realised that it will mean everyone working for success and rolling their sleeves up. Instead they’re being bought – a disrespectful process that, if successful, would breed a state unlikely to survive.

We prefer a genuine federalist solution – which no one is looking at – as that preserves the history of the home nations standing together as much in sacrifice as in good times – while creating a constitutional relationship that respects the independent identity and the large autonomy of each and giving each the benefit of solidarity and choice.

The coming decade of severe economic difficulty is not a time for any new country to be born in to. We have no doubt that few would vote for this – put of simple realism and intelligence.

Therefore we feel that pursuing the independence referendum at this time is an indulgence to no one’s advantage and to everyone’s disadvantage in distracting our attention from preparing ourselves as best we can for the hardship that is coming down the line.

We see no evidence that the Scottish Government’s mind is on this particular job and that is exactly where – above all things – we need it to be.

Below are some facts culled from the excellent NewsNet Scotland about the lies being told about defence expenditure in Scotland. Scotland with 8.4% of the UK’s population and providing over 9% of the tax to the UK receives now only around 4% of UK defence spend and now has totally inadequate defence infrastructure. Even bringing a Scottish Navy up to the strength of the navies of Denmark or Norway would provide continuous work for Scottish shipyards for decades. Graeme MacCormick, who has contributed already on this issue, should be encouraged to provide For Argyll with a full article about what kind of provision an independent Scotland would make for its navy.

from Newsnet ” Claims that an independent Scotland would automatically be denied shipbuilding contracts from the remainder of the UK have been called into question after it emerged that MoD contracts worth up to £500 million have already been awarded to foreign bidders. A half billion pound contract to build four British navy tankers was awarded in February this year to a South Korean company, despite a bid from BAE System’s Govan based yard At the time, SNP Westminster leader and Defence spokesperson Angus Robertson MP said the decision was a blow for the domestic ship-building industry and “after months of scaremongering over the prospects for Scottish shipyard jobs post-independence, it is now clear that it is the UK, right now, that is creating uncertainty for the future of the sector.” At the same time, Jim Murphy, MP for East Renfrewshire and Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary said: “The one thing keeping shipbuilding on the Clyde afloat is work on Royal Navy warships. It is a real let-down for the Clyde that these tankers are going to be built in South Korea. This is a real snub.” However, Newsnet Scotland has learned that it was actually the last Labour government which drew up the contracts for the four ships. Critically, this was done without designating them as “protected” defence contracts which could have been tendered within the UK, as they would not then have been subject to EU competition laws. It has also emerged that Tory Defence Secretary Philip Hammond rejected a bid led by an Italian company which would have seen the ships built in BAE System’s Govan yard, Hammond instead agreed a contract for them to be built in Korea.”

Constitutionally, to exercise a naval metaphor, now is the time to abandon the sinking ship. I really can’t see why clinging to it as it goes down is a better option that striking out on our own

“Federalists” is it? What tosh! Suggested “federalism” is the refuge of the timid unionist who is aware that unionism is no longer the universally popular or majority position. It’s the equivalent of “I’m a Partick Thistle ” supporter if you blunder into an Old Firm rammy in Glasgow. It of course has never been properly described in the UK context – for the simple reason that any attempt to explain it thoroughly would expose it for the shallow diversionary tactic it is. It is merely another potentially very complicated form of devolution with none of the admirable clarity provided by independence. It fails completely on a number of grounds 1) The English have no appetite for it 2) The notion that England would share political parity with units like Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland when it (England) is eight times the size of them put together is absurd. No self respecting Englsih persons would accept that – and neither should they. 3) The idea that Scotland would then be reduced to the status of Yorkshire or the West Country (because that is the only way a working UK federation could be constructed) is anathema to any Scot who views his community as a nation.

Apart from the almost extinct political breed, the LibDems, I’ve heard no Scot suggest Federalism of the UK as a sensible solution to anything. The traditional Liberal position (until the Libs got possessed and became the LibDems)was for “Home Rule” – ie dominion status like Canada and New Zealand which was independence under the crown – not unlike the presnt SNP position and that is the only sensible procession worth taking Now if we are to talk about “confederation” then we’re on more sensible ground. Something like the Nordic Council in which five entirely INDEPENDENT countries of varying size co-operate freely on matters of mutual interest has considerable appeal. In fact I’m sure a number of Scots would rather be in a Nordic Council than a UK Confederation.

Dave: Surely the LibDems have bounced back from being on life support before, and anyone who dismisses them as irrelevant should take the time to listen to Shirley Williams expound on just about any subject under the sun. Whatever mainstream party people support, it’s surely much more healthy to have more than just two main players slugging it out and often polarising sensible debate toward two less and less palatable extremes? When I was a kid I thought that two-party democracy was the cat’s whiskers, but over the years I’ve become less and less sure, and the predictably grotesque antics of money-fuelled heavyweight political rivals in the United States makes me thankful for the variety in this country.

The Lib Dems now have less councillors in the whole of the U.K. than the SNP have in Scotland, which reinforces their total irrelevance. I am not sure where you get your figures about London from, but the total sum including the infrastructure support for Kings Cross will be in excess of 1Billion pounds. The east end of Glasgow is still far from any kind of rejuvenation as is many other parts of Glasgow. London receives far more money than any other part of the UK and far more than is legitimate. The lack of high speed rail link which terminates at St Pancras,and the fact Greater London has far more miles of motorway than Scotland are moot points when you start to look at the cost of the Metropolitan Police, London Transport including the underground and the fact that the major international airports for this “United Kingdom” are all within a few miles of our “Capital City” which is nearer to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and even Frankfurt than it is to Edinburgh or Glasgow. As far as the Scottish Parliament is concerned, that is what happens when control of a scottish project is run by a London based Labour party and shows what they are fit for either in the context of Holyrood or Westminster. In which ever way you wish to look at it it was not a mismanaged project that had anything to do with an SNP administration. The Lib Lab co-operation was responsible for that debacle.

The thrust of the original article was that Scotland would be well advised to postpone referendum day because the financial crisis is likely to become a financial catastrophe. I agree with the catastrophe bit but Independence could be a better choice than depending upon the City State of London – it will be the first casualty of financial collapse because funny money and criminal banking practices are its foundation stones. We are witnessing the long overdue collapse of a house of cards called fractional reserve banking and no amount of printing money is going to prop it up – the very concept that printing money will remove the sovereign and national debt problems is primary school nonsense. This is not a financial problem – it is a book-keeping problem. We have become hostages to an accountancy system designed by bankers for the benefit of bankers – it’s called the fractional reserve system. Indeed creative capitalism has mutated into financial capitalism and there is no way that a little polite tinkering by the G8 or even Newsroom is going to fix that. We should not be considering postponing the referendum but we should be very concerned that deep in the engine room of Independence they are planning how Scotland can make itself financially independent of London, Brussels and Washington. With our own currency we can run our own affairs and trade with the rest of the world on terms that suit us and them – and it’s us first and then them. For too long we have danced to the tune of these self-interested bankers. Mr. Salmond and Mr. Swinney – good banking is not complicated – just bad banking. Get your heads round the fact that Scots are as shrewd as anyone and perfectly able to operate their own currency and a responsible banking system and if you’re have any doubts about that read the booklet – “There’s No Independence Without Financial Independence” online athttp://www.scottishmonetaryreform.org.uk/6.html There you’ll also find easy to watch videos and, if you’re a glutton for punishment my entry for the Wolfson Essay Prize – An orderly exit for Greece from the euro. The same principles apply to Greece – better to be captain of your own destiny….

The problem with this “we can do better on our own” is that serious financial failures are recurring at about a 10 year frequency and we would have less than 5 after independence to prepare a firewall of sufficient size to survive the next; getting rid of RBS and BoS would be a priority and the same might apply to the Scottish insurance companies. I doubt that we could or would want to do it.

Whereas it seems to suit some to blame London for these failures, those that do should remember that greed triggered them all and, mostly, except for Goodwin who unfortunately is a Scot, from overseas. We were once proud of the fact that Scots were running almost every major bank in the world at one time; look at the Canadian banks.

Both banks you mention are now owned in the majority by a UK Government, and are run from London where the CEO for each bank is based, despite the ‘Scotland’ in their titles. Speculation and poor trading mostly from the floor of the stock exchange in London and lack of controls on the banks by London governments brought about this British fiasco. We need to be able to control our own affairs to allow us to respond directly to problems that arise and stop having to suffer from the unbalanced United Kingdom approach.

England did not bail Scotland out. They bailed out/bribed the major shareholders in the Darien Scheme who voted for the Union. We are told in our history classes that this was accepted by the populace. We are not told about the riots in the streets when they voted for it.

I’m surprised ForArgyll has failed to report Alex Salmond’s launch of the Yes for separation campaign . Flanked by residents of New York city and other off shore locations , a selection of extreme left-wingers and gay activists ,it was noticeable that there was not one business person on stage . Let’s have your analysis Newsroom

Islay forever I think if ForArgyll had written about the “Scottish Yes campaign for separation” they would have been pulled up about it It is a Yes Campaign for independence the Scottish people rights to forge their own destiny rather than the forced will of the English masters Let me guess from your statement “a selection of extreme left-wingers and gay activists ,it was noticeable that there was not one business person on stage” you believe the polimagician created straight line with Right wing to one side and left on the opposite side Correct me if I am wrong but the extreme left want the government to control and own everything and bestow gifts to the people if they behave and follow the rules? (Communism)(Agenda21, European union, NATO to name a few) Right wing wants to control the people by corporate law, own all the companies and thus control the little people (tyranny) (DVLA, VOSA to name a couple) So are both not just about controlling and holding the little people down? So would a circle graph not be more appropriate with both of these nutter groups at the top.

LOL “ I am a Scot and no man is my master” are you for real how much tax did you pay to your master last year? How many of their statute laws did you “consent” to obey? How many of your masters EU, UK rules and regulations did accept their control of you under “statutory obligation” tactic LOL I just love how people like you live in denial yet try to discredit others, at no time did I whine about anything W.S Isn’t it funny how you try to place me in a box “cybernats” are you not just a well trained little conformist place everyone into their perceived class that will keep the real issues hidden, keep the people divided

Ps a person that whines my friend is someone that will do nothing about a situation, I on the other hand have done something about it, enjoy you life of “voluntary servitude”

My objection to your whiney little post is to the use of the phrase “English masters”.

Use of that implies that you believe that we are a conquered people living under the yoke of the English.

Grow Up !

Stop running down the Scots. We are NOT a conquered people with “English masters”.

All Scots are masters of their own destiny.

Some of us thrive in that knowledge, others spend their lives on cyber forums whining and moaning; failing to simply get on with their own lives which, my friend, are full of potentential if you’d just take that massive anti-English chip off your shoulder.

While I would not hope for humanity or compassion from ifo I had been led to believe that Scottish Conservatives and Unionists had managed to develop a degree of tolerance that would deplore the blatant homophobia displayed above.

As usual Islay you are way off the mark with your narrow observations. No worry your no campaign is being headed by Alastair Darling normal residence London. Has a small pad in Edinburgh just for appearances sake

@W.S Here we go again your programming kicking in try to discredit me with a pathetic statement “My objection to your whiney little post is the use of the phrase English masters” Could you tell me were most of our laws are made? Who controls the full public gifts (taxes)? What is the nationality of most the criminals (oops politicians) at the top of the government? Use of the phrase English Master implies that I believe the Scots are a conquered people living under the yoke of the English. If you mean a defeated nation then certainly not, if however you mean a surrender nation then Yes Scotland has accepted the rules and regulations set by Westminster and now Brussels, the people of Scotland have laid down and accepted the will of a English located government and European Union The Scots have given up their law system (based on common law- law of the land) for the English version of Roman law (admiralty law –law of the sea) Britannia Rules the waves comes to mind. As for running down the Scots LOL what a joke the Scots could be so much more and Scotland could be one of the best nations on this planet but for the majority of the Scots being to lazy to stand up for our country or to thick to see the use of admiralty law upon them. As for you claim of me having “a massive anti-English chip on my shoulder” this is your best joke yet friend, two of my old businesses are based in England I have a wide range of English friends and guess what it was some English people that woke me up to the polimagician lies and deceptions. Have a search for “John Harris it’s an illusion” a good English carpenter or Brian Gerrish lawful rebellion another English man No chip on my shoulder mate the English have less of a voice than the people of Scotland